Tainan's 5 Cafes You Need To Pay A Visit
Although Tainan is most loved by locals for its cheap and delicious street eats, recent years have seen a rise in café culture geared towards Taiwan’s wenqing population, a word combining culture and youth. Tainan’s unique cultural background as the original capital of Dutch colonists in the 1600s and as a widely regarded seat of traditional Taiwanese culture makes for a robust assortment of hole-in-the-wall cafes located in historical buildings, fashionable minimalist spaces, and vibrantly youthful niches. No matter if you’re looking for atmosphere, culture, or just plain good coffee, Tainan has a café for you.
Sputnik Lab
Address: No. 74, Fubei Street, North District, Tainan City, 704
Hours: 13:00-19:00, closed on Wednesdays
Hidden in an alley close to the Tainan Train Station, Sputnik Lab is housed in a traditional Japanese-style wooden house, a remnant of the 1920s Japanese occupation of Taiwan. Visitors to Sputnik Lab can sip on matcha lattes and nibble on traditional matcha, red bean, and shiratama dango (sweet Japanese rice ball) desserts while sitting on straw tatami mats at low-lying tables. Sputnik Lab’s interior is filled with elements of Japanese design and artwork, and visitors must remove their shoes upon entering, in keeping with traditional tea house tradition. Even the menus at Sputnik Lab use Japanese-style designs, and this dedication to authenticity has earned this café the title of “the closest place in Taiwan to Tokyo.” Sputnik Lab is discerning of its clientele, and children under the age of 10 are not allowed. If you plan on paying a visit, be prepared to make a phone call the day of your visit, as only groups of eight or larger can place reservations in advance.
Zheng Xing Cafe
Address: No. 43, Section 3, Guohua St, West Central District, Tainan City, 700
Operating Hours: 9am - 9pm, Friday-Saturday 9am - 10pm
For those looking for a comfortable and nostalgic café atmosphere, look no further than Zheng Xing Café. Originally a small bed-and-breakfast run by architech Kuo-Chang Liu, Zheng Xing expanded into the coffee business in order to help travelers more easily locate the B&B as well as enjoy a leisurely breakfast. Liu’s design know-how creates a bright and relaxed atmosphere in a renovated historical building, and the soft classical music and Western-style bites don’t hurt either. The interior maintains much of the original structure, with exposed brick and refurbished hardwood furniture. Zheng Xing Café sells a number of cultural products unique to Tainan, and its location next door to arguably Tainan’s most famous ice cream shop, Ninao, makes it an ideal stop for those traveling by foot. If you want a café to sit back, relax, and enjoy an afternoon, be sure to make room for Zheng Xing on your itinerary.
Meller Cafe
Address: No. 53, Anbei Road, Anping District, Tainan City, 708
Operating Hours: 10am - 6pm, closed on Tuesdays
With Insta-worthy eats all the rage these days, Meller Café takes the cake. Known in Tainan as a wangmei, or “internet beauty” café, Meller Café is filled to the brim with dried flower accents and simplistic decorations. Meller is best known for its creamy chiffon cakes in local flavors such as hojicha (roasted green tea), mango and matcha, and unlike many cafes of its caliber, Meller’s drinks and desserts are surprisingly affordable; a personal-sized chiffon cake is only USD$3. The minimum purchase at Meller is one drink, so be aware of this when ordering. Meller may not be known for award-winning coffee or famous baristas, but its desserts are enough to make it well worth the visit.
Cafe WUDAO
Address: No. 90, Xinmei Street, West Central District, Tainan City, 700
Operating Hours: 10am - 9pm, Saturday-Sunday 9am - 9pm
Social: Facebook
Don’t have time for a full Tainan café tour but want to enjoy as much as possible in one trip? Café WUDAO has something for everyone. Café WUDAO is located in a Western-style home but has a Japanese-style seating area on the second floor, creating a unique experience for visitors. The ground floor area is filled with greenery, modern lighting, and hardwood and stone accents spread throughout a wide open space, while the second floor is split between regular seating and tatami mats. In addition to its unique décor concept, Café WUDAO serves both premium coffee and handmade boutique desserts, and WUDAO’s signature dishes include mirror glaze cakes and Japanese-style curries. The café refuses to sacrifice quality for quantity, so dessert and meal options may sell out fast.
Maison The Core
Address: No. 3, Lane 317, Section 2, Minzu Road, West Central District, Tainan City, 700
Operating Hours: 12pm - 7pm, Wednesday 12pm - 6pm, closed on Thursdays
The final entry on this list, Maison the Core, may be difficult to locate for the untrained eye. The exterior of the café is decorated in keeping with traditional Southern Taiwanese houses using plain gray cement and red Chinese New Year couplets. Once inside, visitors will see the café’s mascot, a Shiba Inu named Pork Floss. Maison the Core’s desserts and sandwiches are renowned in Tainan for their unique blend of Chinese and Western foods, serving bubble milk tea flavored Hong Kong egg waffles alongside New York style cheesecake. Coffee is served strong at Maison the Core, and regular cane sugar is replaced by brown sugar, providing a Taiwanese spin on regular coffee. Seating at Maison the Core is limited and the café does not accept reservations, so try to grab a seat early if you’d like to spend some time there.
No matter what you’re looking for, Tainan has a café for you. While you’re there, don’t be afraid to try some of the more local street dishes, but be sure not to miss out on the most unique coffee scene in Taiwan.
